Victory Puts Sunny Hills on Fast Track to Freeway Girls’ Soccer Title

For the second time in her career, Renee Garand scored the winning goal in a crucial game that figures to lead Sunny Hills to the Freeway League girls’ soccer title.

Although the Lancers have not clinched the title, Thursday’s 2-1 victory over Troy was the last major hurdle in their path to an eighth championship in 10 years.

Two years ago, during her freshman year, Garand’s overtime goal in the deciding game against Sonora earned the Lancers the championship.

In their four remaining games, the Lancers (18-4-1, 6-0), who have an 11-game winning streak and are ranked sixth in Southern Section Division II, face opponents they have outscored, 25-2, this season.

Last season Troy ended the Lancers’ title hopes in the final game of the season. Sunny Hills needed only a tie to clinch, but Troy upset the Lancers and Sonora ended up with the championship.

“This was definitely a big game for the girls,” Sunny Hills Coach Jeff Gordon said. “We are on a roll right now and we are really starting to click.”

Garand’s game-winner came with under four minutes remaining in the first half, breaking a 1-1 tie. Sophomore forward Megan Broschak picked up her second assist of the game, sending a free kick in front of the goal that Garand sliced past Troy goalkeeper Kim Orin and into the opposite corner of the goal.

“Renee always comes up big in the big games,” Gordon said. “She never stops working.”

The Lancers took a 1-0 lead 14 minutes into the game when Broschak lofted a corner kick to the far post and Stacy Pelphrey, a junior sweeper, flicked it past Orin. It was Broschak’s 26th assist of the season.

Troy came back one minute later when freshman Katie Ratican sent the ball through to Teresa Rechnitzer on the edge of the box. Rechnitzer left-footed a blast from the corner that sailed over the head of Lancer goalkeeper Ashley Moskovich and into the far corner of the goal.

Troy (8-7, 4-2), which finished third in the league last season, dropped into a tie for second place with Sonora.